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Can a defensive driving course take points off my South Carolina license?

If you have points, South Carolina law takes four off once you prove to the Department of Motor Vehicles that you finished the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course or its equivalent. The course has to come after the points were assessed. Points can be reduced one time in any three-year period.

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The rule, fact by fact

Who needs it
Any driver who has accumulated pointsCheck your driving record for points before you pay for a course.
Verified. www.scstatehouse.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Rule
Points are reduced by four after the National Safety Council course or its equivalentYou prove completion to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Same source and date as above
Rule
The course must be completed after the points have been assessedCheck the date your points were assessed before you sign up.
Same source and date as above
Valid for
Points can be reduced one time in any three-year periodPlan the timing before you sign up.
Same source and date as above
Agency
Driver training schools may apply to the department for course approvalThe department is the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check that points are already on your record. The reduction applies to a driver who has accumulated points, and the course must come after the points were assessed.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course taught by an instructor whom the National Safety Council or an equivalent body has accredited. Driver training schools may apply to the department for course approval.

  3. Step 3. Finish the course and prove it to the department. Your points are then reduced by four. This works one time in any three-year period.

Before you pay

Check that the course comes after the points were assessed.

Ask whether the National Safety Council or an equivalent body has accredited the instructor.

Ask for the total price, with every fee, before you pay.

Check that you haven't had a reduction in the last three years. We haven't confirmed whether a court dismisses a ticket for a course, or whether any school offers it online, so ask your court and the school.

Questions

I ride a motorcycle. Is there another course?

A driver with a Class M endorsement can reduce points by four with a South Carolina technical college motorcycle safety course or its equivalent. Courses offered for point reduction must be at least eight hours long.

How many points mean a suspension?

Twelve to fifteen points mean a three-month suspension.

Does a warning ticket add points?

No. Warning tickets carry no point value.

What to do next

Check the date of your last reduction and the date your points were assessed. Then read the South Carolina Code on points and the defensive driving course to see the rule itself.

www.scstatehouse.gov

Sources we read